Round The Corner: A Mobile Record Store Unveils Their Grand Opening at The Hood Saturday, March 18

By Gilbert Ward Kane

We all know vinyl has made quite the comeback. Last year, records outsold CDs for the first time since the 1980s, and a few months back, records outsold digital downloads. If that doesn’t speak volumes for the vinyl resurgence, I’m not sure what does.

There are a few record stores located in our community, but two local guys have taken this to a new level. Dale Myers, who we’ve been buying music from for over 2 decades in Palm Desert, and Jason Hall, owner of local vinyl only record label, Ruined Vibes, have decided to bring the record store to you.

These two have started a mobile record store called Round The Corner. That’s right, a taco truck that sells vinyl, T-shirts, stickers, posters, and patches! They figured why not offer a chance to bring a pop up record store to your show, swap, or even your house.

Saturday, March 18, at The Hood in Palm Desert will be their grand opening. They brought together some of their favorite local bands to help them celebrate their opening. The show is a great mix of old school and new school local music. The music of You Know Who, The Hellions, Ritual Rastrero, and Fever Dog will be bringing the party to life.

Coachella Valley Weekly: What got you into records?

Dale Myers:  “I’ve always been into collecting music since I was 7. The first piece of music I bought was Rick James’ Street Songs… I actually still have that album. But it wasn’t until the late 90s when I officially started collecting LPs… starting with scratch battle records out of curiosity, then my first completist collection, Beastie Boys. I was bound and determined to get everything they put on Vinyl. I collected other artists as well but just the albums I knew. But, now I’m hunting stuff down on eBay and paying crazy prices too.”

Jason Hall:  “Vinyl was the affordable and accessible format when I was younger. I sort of inherited my mom’s LP’s. Then when I was young, my mom married a DJ, ‘Jammin’ Jeff Hunter.  That dude’s record collection was surreal. My mom made him get rid of a lot of it. I got to keep some of the gems though. He’s still my go to guy when it comes to music. I share everything with him and my mom. They’ve supported my obsession through thick and thin.”

CVW:  How long have you guys known each other, and how did you meet?

DM: “Funny enough, Jason had the same obsession with the Beastie Boys that I did. Jason started coming in the Record Alley in the late 90s… Jason was about 15-16 years old. He’d always ask me what’s new. And, if I ever wanted something, I always ordered two so I could give him the other one. He’d hang out for a couple of hours just to shoot the shit. Eventually, he moved away for a few years and then came back and it was like he never left.”

JH:  “When I moved here from LA, I completely immersed myself in music. The Record Alley was my hang out. Dale and I were into the same music. Actually, I’m probably into the music I listen too because he would force these releases onto me. He’d always have something new for me when I went in there. Beastie Boys was definitely the driving force behind our friendship. Also, I love rock, but I was way more into desert raves back then. They were out of control in a way I liked. Dale always hooked me up with good 12″s to incorporate into my DJ sets.”

CVW: What brought you 2 together to open a record store?

DM “If I said the universe would you think I was weird? It wasn’t like it was a planned. It just kind of fell together like that.”

JH: “It was truly meant to be. When I moved back, I was asking Dale advice about opening a record store. He was already planning on opening one. The universe provides, and the Dude abides.”

CVW: A mobile record store is very unique. How did you come up with the idea?

DM: “I don’t know if it’s so much came to me but it just seemed like something that needed to be done. ‘Where should we put a store, how do we get these people to come in, and how do we get those people to come in? I wish we could just take the record store to them…’ After trying to figure out everything, a mobile record store just made the most sense.”

JH: “Third Man Records does it with just their releases. We seriously thought about every scenario, and this seemed right. Why not?”

CVW: What albums should every person have in their collection?

DM: “Jimmy Smith’s Root Down, Willie Dixon’s I’m The Blue, Sonic Youth’s Dirty, DJ Shadow’s Introducing, and Sly and the Family Stone’s There’s A Riot Goin On.”

JH: “Beastie Boys’ License To Ill and Paul’s Boutique, DEVO’s Are We Not Men, Joy Division’s Closer and Unknown Pleasures, Velvet Underground and Nico, Melvins’ Houdini, and Prince’s 1999. Man… there are so many. Come see us. We’ll sell you the essentials.”

CVW: The grand opening show features some amazing newer and older local bands. How’d you come up with the line up?

DM: “Jason has a lot to do with the lineup. All the bands that are playing… most of them grew up in the store, so I know them all from there.”

JH: “It was really important to me to have a super strong lineup that represented what Dale and I knew from 15-20 years ago and what the scene is becoming. I’ve know The Hellions since they started. Angel (Lua) and I worked together years ago. Mike Pygmie, Dylan Brown, and Greg Saenz are power houses in our scene. The dude’s in You Know Who have done some major stuff for us. Our scene is incredibly lucky to have them play often. Ritual Rastrero and Fever Dog are incredibly talented young, fresh bands. Fever Dog is totally living in the wrong time. They’re straight from the 70s. Ritual Rastrero are a duo that put out an amazing sound on budget equipment. Who else can make a Squire with a pushed in pick up sound so good? Nobody, that’s who!”

CVW: Will you be offering up and special releases on the truck?

DM: “We have some limited edition screen-printed posters that will be very collectible. If you miss out, you’ll cry about it, and wish you bought it. Then, you’ll try and steal your friends because they got theirs but they’ll catch you and then you guys will be enemies forever if they don’t shank you over it… so be on it and get your poster.”

JH: “Fuck! I can’t top that answer. Right on dude! Hopefully we’ll be getting some limited signed stuff and we’ll obviously exclusively carry any future Ruined Vibes releases. Definitely be sure to get the gig poster. That shit is rad. Art by WesTexas out of Houston.”

CVW:  What do you think the future of vinyl is?

DM: “Vinyl will always be around. Will it always be as popular as it is right now? Probably not … DEATH TO THE CD”

JH: “Maybe I’m biased, but vinyl will not die. I wouldn’t start a record store if I thought it would. It’ll keep strong. Collectors and completists will always buy vinyl.”